"Тролль Гнёт Ель" ("Troll Gnøt Yel", "Troll Bends Fir" in russian) is a folk rock band from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 2000 by Kostya Troll (Konstantin Rumiantsev - lead vocals, guitar) and Jethra (Maria Leonova - flute, female vocals).

TBF's creativity is formed of Scandinavian folklore tunes stylized and mixed up with modern hard-rock riffs. Lyrics are primarly in Russian and they send you back to the funny stories of the medieval tavern.

History

When Troll Bends Fir appeared in 2000 they literally scared away fans of "elfish dances on moonlit grass" and gave to folk music in St. Petersburg real Viking spirit and rock-n-roll drive.

This set of musicians give their gigs in clubs all over St. Petersburg and Moscow gathering quite a lot of fans. The increasing number of their crowd is not surprising due to the unique niche TBF found in modern folk music. "Leprechauns" and "Banshee" dancing jigs and reels and joined the green banners of Erin are numerous in both Russian capitals. But music of real Nordic cold that flames and shakes is new to our public. TBF musicians call their style beer-folk and that's a point. Their music background consists of Scandinavian folk tunes styled as hard rock riffs. Lyrics are primarily in Russian though there are some songs in ancient Icelandic and they follow traditional content of real folk songs. In contradiction to Viking-Metal songs of tarred decks, clash of Viking swords and twilight of gods TBF's words are stylistically very close to genuine folk songs that were sung in taverns all over Old Europe. Exciting dance tunes always fever fans including giggish students in a nightclub and severe bearded bikers at spring opening of driving season.

Violin, whistle and the singer's wild roars make fans find around not walls of a club but dark mossy wooden logs of a tavern, and shadows of a fire dancing on them. And stomp of feet on dirt floor, and discord of voices, and hollow sound of horns, and clatter of wooden mugs.

In 2002 TBF made their first record. For a half a year 2000 copies have been sold not only in St. Petersburg, but far around its bounds. It appreciably enlarged the circle of band fans.

Tradition is alive when it is kept developed. And if so different people come to see TBF gigs again and again, and dance to songs that make them beg for mercy, so the spirit of great northern culture is alive and here irrespectively of what musical instruments and what language is a song played on.

When a TV man asked them in one of their shows if they played Viking Metal, Troll said 'No, we play Beer Folk. I know, no one plays beer folk' (of course all in Russian).

ТГЕ combines folk with raw male vocals, metal and of course lots of beer..

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